2013 Ponzi Pinot Noir Reserve

"This fruit forward wine is packed with black cherry, cedar, cigar box, anise and cream cola leading to a mouth of chicory and caraway along with spiced plum and toasted almond. The graphite tinged tannins linger to a long finish." -Winemaker Luisa Ponzi

VINTAGE 2014: Said to be a Goldilocks vintage in Oregon; not too hot, not too cold and not too much rain! 2014 was, however, the warmest season on record in the Willamette Valley. Interestingly this was not due to high maximum temperatures, but rather higher than normal minimum temperatures. A warm spring and a little rain gave us an early bud break and the season maintained warm temperatures throughout. Nighttime temperatures were well above normal accelerated ripening despite large crop loads and harvest began at the very beginning of September. The dry weather inhibited disease pressure allowing us to receive a bountiful, clean and quite ripe vintage.

VINEYARDS: This Pinot noir is a blend of LIVE Certified Sustainable fruit from Ponzi’s oldest and most prized sites: Abetina, Aurora and Madrona Vineyards; as well as Linda Vista, Kason, Walnut Ridge and Zenith Vineyards.

FERMENTATION: All of the fruit was hand sorted and destemmed. Fermented in small lots with 5 days of cold soak to increase aroma and color, the peak temperatures reached 90 degrees. The fermenters were aerated or manually punched down twice a day (for 12-20 days) before undergoing a 7-day post-fermentation maceration to increase structure and length. This wine was aged in French oak barrels (30% new), for 20 months. It was racked and bottled by gravity without filtration or fining and was aged in bottle for 5 months before its release.

Alcohol is 14.1%. Finished pH is 3.55.